


i take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover

by casuallysavingtheworld



Series: wherever you stray, i follow [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brief appearances by Cara, Canon Divergence-The Republic Doesn't Fall, Cobb - Freeform, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Good Parent Anakin Skywalker, Good Parent Din Djarin, Good Parent Padmé Amidala, Greef, Han - Freeform, M/M, Meet the Family, Mentions of Boba and Fennec, Padmé Amidala Lives, Palpatine gets murked by mace, Secret Relationship, Skywalker Family Dramatics, Skywalker Family Feels (Star Wars), Wedding Fluff, luke comes back home with a fun surprise, mand'alor din djarin, sorta - Freeform, star wars canon and i have beef
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casuallysavingtheworld/pseuds/casuallysavingtheworld
Summary: Anakin, quite frankly, is sick of his son’s shit.(Luke comes back from a mission on Mandalore with a surprise, a husband and a son. Anakin doesn't know how to handle his son.)
Relationships: Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda & Luke Skywalker, Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Luke Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Luke Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: wherever you stray, i follow [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131293
Comments: 59
Kudos: 769





	i take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I wrote this mostly for myself, because I couldn't stop imagining if Luke just turned up one day with a husband and a kid, who happens to be the King of Mandalore, and how Anakin would react. Anyways, I want to preference this, that this story is a lot about Anakin's and Luke's relationship, and their dynamic. Just remember that family does fight, even at the most inopportune times, but people make up, there are no perfect relationships. There is some inspiration from [this lovely fic!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28533999/chapters/69922572) I hope you enjoy!  
> title: lover by taylor swift

Anakin, quite frankly, is sick of his son’s shit. 

At one point in time, Anakin could count on his one real hand how many times his son had caused him this much grief, but then he turned fourteen, and the sweet, summer child he saw so much of himself in, had been thrown out the window for...the actual disaster his son had turned into. While Luke is incredibly smart, and more than capable with most things, the times Luke made Anakin pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh...is beginning to be more than just a handful. Luke just didn't think things through as much Anakin would like him too. Obi-Wan said it was fitting that everyone thought that they were copies of each other, and Anakin wasn’t happy about that statement either, but it got Ahsoka clutching her stomach in laughter. 

Anakin could have forgiven all the times in the past where Luke had caused him the previously mentioned grief because it was Luke being Luke, and Anakin knows that Luke never meant to do anything to frustrate his parents on purpose. However, this time, _this time_ , Luke has outdone himself. 

“We sent you on a diplomatic mission to Mandalore, Luke! Not to bring back a Mandalorian husband, who also happens to be the _Mand’alor_ , and he has a kid!?” Anakin exclaims, pinching the bridge of his nose harder than he ever has before. 

The father and son stand in Varykino estate on Naboo, golden hour sunlight breaking through the windows, as night quickly approaches. Currently very happy with his choice to send C-3PO off early, as he didn’t need anything else to annoy him. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka flank Anakin while he interrogates his son. Padmé and Leia had whisked the Mandalorian who held the child, who looked so much like Yoda it was scary, to the balcony. His girls are the diplomats, making sure the _Mand’alor_ was comfortable. However, Anakin is not, so he stood with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, trying to get Luke to explain what the hell happened in his two years away on Mandalore. 

“Well, Obi-Wan and the council sent you to Naboo to protect Mother, who was also royalty, and they didn’t expect you to come back married!” Luke retorts, which got a chuckle out of Ahsoka. 

“You should be thankful for that or else you wouldn’t be here to be a pain in my ass,” Anakin hisses, and Luke rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. 

“Anakin, I think we should hear Luke out before you get too ahead of yourself,” Obi-Wan says, reaching over to place a hand on his shoulder. 

Anakin had been waiting anxiously for his son to come home from his mission, pacing in the living room of the family's house. Comms calls could only do so much to calm his worries about Luke, who had never been away from his family this long without Padmé or Anakin with him. Luke was always looking at the stars, ready for the next step, just like Anakin had as a young boy, and Anakin saw so much of himself in his son. It was the longing for something bigger, to find the thing out there that made him click, but there was still that foot placed firmly where he was, Luke wasn’t always willing to leave his family behind. So, when Padmé came home with a potential mission for Luke from the Republic, Anakin pushed him towards it. Leia encouraged her brother, and so he decided he would go. 

So, one could imagine Anakin’s surprise when the doors opened, and there stood his sunshine boy, with a very intimidating Mandalorian, decked out in pure beskar armor, _with the Darksaber on his belt,_ and a small green child with the largest ears Anakin had ever seen. The entire room went quiet, as Luke’s family set their eyes on the pair, whose hands were intertwined. Luke's smile could put the sun to shame, despite his eyes looking hesitant, but the energy radiating off the Mandalorian was pure anxiety, despite being the fiercest warrior in the galaxy. 

Leia was the first one up, rushing towards her brother, wrapping him up in her arms. Anakin could see the relief rush over Luke’s face as he hugged his sister, always his biggest supporter. Padmé made her way over to Anakin, placing her hand on his arm, before moving over to her children. She stretched out her hand to the Mandalorian, who identified himself as Din and the child as Grogu. He seemed to relax a bit with the warm welcome from Luke’s mother and sister, but even with the helmet on, Anakin could tell that he kept glancing over to him. It was Padmé who noticed Anakin’s face, which must have not been the best introduction. Tucking her hand in the bend of Din’s elbow, she whisked him and the child outside to allow Anakin to talk to their son. Leia and Artoo followed closely behind, neither wanting to get caught in the middle of the argument. 

“You know it was apart of my mission to be close to the _Mand’alor_ , in order to help them through the transition period of joining the Republic, and his son is Force-Sensitive, so Din and I ended up spending a lot of time together, and over time, it just kind of happened,” Luke explains, a blush rising to his face. 

Anakin turns to Obi-Wan, “I don’t know how but this is your fault,” 

“How can this be my fault!” Obi-Wan exclaims, and Ahsoka is back to doubling over in laughter. 

“This is what you get for falling in love with a Mandalorian, somehow you passed it onto your grand-padawan,” Anakin says, and Obi-Wan rolls his eyes at his former student. 

“Oh Luke, you’re never gonna live this down,” Ahsoka claps Luke on the back, before wrapping her arm around her favorite nephew’s shoulder, who rested his head against her cheek. 

“Luke, I just wish you had talked to one of us about this first,” Anakin sighs, placing his hands on his hips. 

“And have one of you attempt to talk me out of it? I know the choice I made, neither of us decided this lightly and I wish you would stop acting like it was just some random decision I woke up and made one day!” Luke states, Ahsoka moving away from him to give him some space, and Anakin can feel the frustration pulsing off of him. 

“How are we supposed to act? You delightfully avoided telling us until you come home. Sorry for not jumping for joy, Luke!” Anakin throws his arms up in the air. 

Anakin starts pacing again, exasperated by his son’s antics, barely noticing the glances Luke keeps making outside. The anxiety radiating off his son is uncomfortable, Luke was rarely ever this anxious. 

“You could start by not questioning me in front of my _husband_ like I’m still some fifteen year old trying to sneak Biggs into my room in the middle of the night!” Luke says, running a hand over his face, “Maybe you could have taken the time to greet him as well!” 

“Don’t say husband like you understand the weight behind it, Luke,” Anakin snaps, and Luke’s face contorts into something Anakin had never seen before.

Anakin stops to stare at his son, who’s just as frustrated as Anakin is. Luke’s cheeks are red, like he’s trying to hold back to not let a full-blown argument start in front of their family. The tension is apparent in his body, and Anakin wishes he was a better father. 

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka catch eyes from their respective places, and Anakin can tell they were keeping him out of the conversation on purpose. Their lives had changed so drastically once Anakin had defeated Palpatine with Mace all those years ago, with Anakin leaving the order to take care of his children. He couldn’t believe Luke is twenty-six now, his children are growing up. Anakin is lucky, there was a chance he could have never had this at all, but he did. He got to raise his children, train them with Ahsoka the best they could, show them a world where they could do better, where they could help make it better. And now his only son has come back with a husband, and he didn’t even tell him that he was getting married. 

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka take the lull in conversation as their opportunity to meet the rest of the Skywalker-Naberrie crew out on the balcony, leaving Anakin and Luke alone in the room. Luke stands there with his arms crossed, staring out the window towards Din, who is making conversation with Leia and Ahsoka as Padmé watches the water with the child, Grogu, and Obi-Wan. Anakin can feel the love radiating from his son, the golden sun just dipping below the horizon, watching as Din looks over at Luke, who breaks out into the dumbest love-struck smile Anakin had ever seen. Anakin pinches the bridge of his nose, pointing at his son, who glares at him when their eyes meet. 

“We’ll talk about this later,” Anakin says, turning around and stalking away. 

* * *

“Well, you could have acted a little more polite, Anakin,” Padmé says, as the pair sat in their bed later the same night. 

Anakin grumbles, crossing his arms. Night has fallen over Naboo, and Luke had avoided him the rest of the evening, choosing to take a long walk with Leia, Din and Grogu, to show them around the estate, maybe have a picnic by the water. Anakin wonders how Grogu had never made his way to the Jedi Order, as Anakin can tell he was strong with the Force, but he supposes that’s a question to ask his father. 

“Well, it’s not everyday your only beloved son comes home with a husband and a child,” He says, getting a laugh out of his wife, “See, I don’t know how you’re so okay with this!” 

“Because we did the same thing to my family, Ani. Except we had five years of a secret marriage under our belt and not one, but two secret babies as well.” Padmé reminds him, reaching up to brush back Anakin’s hair. 

The two lapse into comfort silence, husband and wife. Anakin traces his hand up her arm, and she smiles at him, leaning over to place a kiss on his lips. He pushes back her hair to tuck it behind her ear, and he swears, she’s only gotten more beautiful since the day he married her. 

“You should apologize to your son, and to Din, I’m sure he has a good reason for not telling us, other than not wanting to be talked out of it,” Padmé prompts him, and Anakin sighs again, “Din seems like a really wonderful man, Ani. I can tell he really cares for Luke.” 

“Alright, alright, I’ll go see if he’ll talk to me,” Anakin places a kiss to his wife’s cheek, and she smiles at him, before rolling over and turning off her light. 

Anakin makes his way through the darkened house, the moonlight streaming in showing him the way. Anakin recalls late nights sneaking out of the Jedi Temple to find his way over here, stolen kisses, secret moments just between the two of them. Look how far they’ve come. They were so excited to have twins, especially due to everything going on at the time, they had been gifted with a bigger family then they originally thought. Luke and Leia have been a blessing on his life, being the main reason to keep him moving forward when he left behind the only thing he had ever known after he left the Order. He doesn’t regret it for a second, loving all the little moments that he has gotten to witness. 

He senses Luke's presence out on the balcony, the same one Padmé had asked him about his nightmares about, and makes his way towards it. His footsteps are the only thing echoing through the large house, the silence of his sleeping family loud in his ears. He is so grateful to have all the people he cared about under one roof again, even if he wants to strangle Luke. The Force hums with a calm energy, and Anakin revels in it. He feels the warm breeze off the lake as he approaches the balcony, then hearing soft voices floating his way. 

He stops, standing in the doorway, hidden by the curtain that ran across. He sees Luke and Din holding each other, moonlight bouncing off the beskar helmet. Din’s taller than Luke, allowing Luke to rest his head on Din’s shoulder. Anakin takes notice of Din rubbing Luke’s back, allowing one hand to move up and run his fingers through Luke’s hair, and he sees his son smile. Anakin knows he should leave them to their moment, but seeing his son _happy_ is something he can’t walk away from. 

“I would have never come with you if it meant making your father so uncomfortable,” Din says, the mechanic tilt to his voice from the helmet stuck out in the quiet of the night. 

“No, he can get over it, he’s an adult,” Luke says, nuzzling closer to Din.

There’s a beat between the couple for a minute, but Anakin can feel that it’s not an uncomfortable silence. Love and contentment fill the Force around them, comfort and belonging too. Luke leans away from Din, looking up at him through the visor, and Anakin wonders if Luke has ever seen what he looks like underneath the helmet. 

“You understand he got upset because you had multiple chances to tell him about Grogu and I, and you just...didn’t? Luke, we’ve been married for six months, and we had been together for three months before,” Anakin is surprised to hear Din being a voice of reason, and Luke grumbles. 

“I just didn't want to have them all invade our bubble, and they would have. Dad would have been calling you every other day making sure you knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you if you hurt me, it’s the same conversation he has with Han every time Leia brings him around. If I told them we were engaged, they would have wanted a big wedding and I know how important it was to you to have a true Mandalorian ceremony, with just us and Grogu, that the rest of it slipped away,” 

Din hums, “But, your family is important to you, and you told me your mother has always wanted to give you a beautiful Naboo wedding,” 

Luke pauses again, and Anakin holds his breath for what his son is about to say. 

“My parents never got a real wedding, with all their friends and family, they married in secret. They got married here actually, almost thirty years ago now,” Luke starts to explain, and Din looks down at him, “By the time they didn’t have to live in secret anymore, they had Leia and I, so they didn’t have time for another ceremony. I think all my dad has wanted for me my whole life is the chance to do things different than he did. It’s why I was never a Jedi Knight, why Leia never was either, why I traveled so often with my family, why I didn’t really leave the nest for so many years. Everyone says there’s so much of my dada in me, Obi-Wan used to mention how we would get the same longing in our eyes as we stared at the sky. Dad has been through so much to make sure we got a chance to be kids, to be our own idea of who we are, that I think it’s hard for him to let go a bit when Leia and I actually make decisions for ourselves.” 

Din lets Luke find his words, not trying to add anything else to the conversation, just willing to listen to his husband make sense of what happened early that day. He reaches up a hand, and brushes the hair on Luke’s forehead to the side, helmet tilting as he waits for Luke to continue. 

“He was the one who pushed me to go on the mission to Mandalore, he wanted me to finally do something for myself, and I know he was proud when I went. But meeting _you_ , teaching Grogu? That was never part of the plan,” Luke says, placing a hand on Din’s helmet, who leans into it, “Thanks for wrecking my plans, _cyar'ika_ ,” 

Din lets out a loud laugh, throwing his head back, tightening his arms around Luke’s waist to pull him flush against his chest. Anakin is surprised, the man seems so stoic, and all the outward displays of affection don’t quite fit the man he had built inside his head already. 

“ _Gar ruin a mesh'la joha, cyar'ika,_ ” Din laughs, and Luke gasps, swatting his arm. 

“I’m still learning pronunciation, _Mand’alor_ the Protector, however, I can still understand you, _”_

“Yes, yes you can, _ner riduur,_ ” Din's voice is so full of love, even with the distortion of the helmet. Luke sends out just pure warmth into the Force, as Din leans his head to meet Luke’s, their foreheads meeting. Anakin hears Luke let out a content sigh, and Din reaches up to the edges of his helmet, starting to pull it off. 

Anakin turns just before he sees Din’s face, but stays just a moment more. 

“To love you, is to love the galaxy, Luke. You are bigger than just yourself, you come with so many people, which is the greatest gift one can have. I’ve always been prepared for that, for being a part of this family, from the day I married you, but I think you need to remind yourself that it’s not just us,” Din’s voice is soft without the modulator, and Luke mumbles something Anakin doesn’t quite catch. 

The couple lapse into silence, and neither speak for a while. Anakin takes the cue to leave. 

Anakin thinks about the overheard conversation, walking away from the balcony to let the pair have their private moment, if Din had wanted them all to see him without his helmet, he would have taken it off the moment he stepped into the room earlier that day. Which answers Anakin’s previous question about if Luke had ever seen the Mandalorian’s face. 

Making his way back to Padmé, Anakin reflects on what Luke shared with Din, and releases, despite being a major pain in his ass, his son is right. Anakin had placed so much of his missing childhood and early adulthood into his children’s hands, that when they wanted to break free, it scared him. They would always be the tiny and terrible set of twins, running around Padmé’s senate office, causing mayhem wherever they went. Seeing Luke come home married, having kept it a secret from them, hurt more than Anakin had originally realized. 

Anakin opens the door to the bedroom, seeing his wife fast asleep, drifting into his side of the bed. He smiles down at Padmé, as he climbs into the bed. She shifts, mumbling something, before Anakin pulls her into his arms, and let’s himself start drifting off. He has a very important conversation to have tomorrow. 

* * *

Anakin makes his way into the garden, knowing he would find his son at his favorite bench. Fights with Leia, trouble with crushes, alone time, no matter the situation, Luke always ended up here. The bench sat underneath a large tree, with large branches that reached out before the smaller, more flexible branches hung down creating a small scuantary for whoever sits at the bench. As the summer months grow closer, the tree has erupted with tiny purple blooms, dancing on the branches as they sway in the wind. The soft floral scent of the tree flows through the air, and the Force is filled with cheerfulness and comfort, trying to tell Anakin that everything was as it should be.

He was never good at listening to the Force, but this time, he begged it to be right. 

“Grogu! Don’t eat the flower!” He hears Din’s voice from under Luke’s beloved tree, and Luke’s laughter follows them. 

Anakin takes a deep breath, pushing the branches out of the way, and lays his eyes on his son and his family. Sitting on the bench, Luke was dressed in his lighter robes, one’s that reflect what Obi-wan usually wears, a lightness to Luke that Anakin hasn’t seen in years. The Force around him radiates with happiness, love and pride, something Anakin knows the feeling of. Din is sitting on the ground, watching Grogu run around picking flowers, and has started placing them in his father’s armor. The _Mand’alor_ looks much less intimidating that he did when the doors opened for the first time yesterday. 

Anakin hates to ruin such a pleasant moment between the three, but he clears his throat anyways. Luke looks up and meets Anakin’s eyes, the classic Skywalker stubbornness appearing, as Luke clenches his jaw. Din turns his helmet up towards Anakin, and he can feel the anxiety start again. Grogu gives Anakin a look before deciding to wave, which he returns, before the child runs to Din’s lap. 

“I’ve come to apologize to both of you about my behavior yesterday, as you can imagine it was a bit of shock to hear the news, but I should not have acted the way I did, and I’m sorry if I caused you to be uncomfortable,” Anakin starts, with the two men in front of him listening carefully. The anxiety in Din vanishes instantly. 

“It’s not an issue, I understand, I showed up somewhat unannounced,” Din says, wrapping an arm around Grogu, standing up to greet Anakin and Luke scoffs, which has Din tilting his head towards him in confusion. 

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Anakin, and I’m sorry for starting off on the wrong foot,” Anakin stretches out a hand to Din, who takes it to shake. 

“Din, this is Grogu, and it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Din responds, and Anakin has an understanding that Din does not hold grudges the same way Luke does, who is still stewing on the bench.

Luke curls himself up, lifting his feet onto the bench, turning away from Anakin. This is a position he has seen Luke take on multiple occasions, and Anakin is not surprised at Luke’s dramatics, seeing as Anakin would do something very similar to Obi-wan when he was still the Order. Din glances back at his husband, who has made it very clear he will not make eye contact with either of the men. Din sighs, body language full of frustration, turns, crouching in front of Luke, and places a hand on Luke’s face, who softens for a moment. Din whispers something to Luke, leaning forward to touch his forehead to Luke’s, who rolls his eyes, but nods his head, still not looking at his father. 

“We’ll let you two talk,” Din says softly to Anakin as he makes his way to leave, Grogu waving a goodbye to him and Luke over Din’s shoulder. 

Anakin lets a beat pass before moving to sit down on the bench next to Luke, letting him stew a bit more before trying to talk. Instead, Anakin rests his head against the tree trunk, eyes closing, letting out a sigh. He listens to the world around him, the birds chirping above them, the distant waves crashing against the shore, all the sounds that reminded him that this is home, all the things that threatened to rip this away from him were long gone, twenty-six years gone. He waits for Luke to speak first, knowing if he tries to take control of the conversation they’re about to have, his son will become more upset with him. 

“I come home after two years away, and you get upset with me for getting married and not saying anything, like you haven’t done worse things,” Luke whispers, and Anakin turns to look at him. 

“You’re right.” 

Luke is surprised by his father’s acknowledgement of his wrongdoings. It was something Anakin’s never been very good at, but he worked hard to be better, trying to show Luke and Leia that he was just a man, and he could do wrong. Luke looks so young, resting his head on his arms, his knees close to his chest. It reminds him of all the other times Anakin would find him after an argument, and he feels bad for forcing Luke to feel this way. 

“Why didn’t you tell us, Luke? Other than not wanting to be talked out of it, or a bubble being burst?” Anakin asks, and Luke shrugs, uncurling himself, feeling more comfortable around his father again. 

“I don’t know,” He admits, voice showing the signs of Luke’s true emotions, “It was nice having something of my own that I didn’t have to share with the rest of the world, like Leia has with Han. Like you have with Mother. It was nice, having our own little world, just the three of us. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, Din...understands me in a way no one has, not even Leia. He doesn’t make me feel small or helpless, he knows I’m capable and strong, he...gets it, he understands the nightmares. I don’t feel bad talking to him about the things the Force shows me, the reality where everything falls apart and we don’t get this chance to be a family. Dad, I just wanted to keep it good, keep it safe, and I knew once I told you guys, we would have to tell the world, and I wasn’t ready for that, for someone to try and ruin us,” 

“That’s wonderful Luke, but take it from someone who did keep their relationship a secret for multiple years, doesn’t it feel much better now that you don’t have to dance around anymore?” Anakin points out.

“Yeah, when your father doesn’t chastise you in front of your husband making you feel and act like a seventeen year old all over again,” Luke snips back to him, and well, Luke has him there. 

“And I shouldn’t have done that. I’m not excusing my actions, Luke. You had always been so quiet about the boys you had crushes on, so I thought you weren’t looking for anything romantic, that you didn’t want a relationship, so I was surprised when you went on mission by yourself for the first time and come back married to the King of Mandalore with a child that looks so much like Master Yoda,” Luke rolls his eyes. 

“You should talk to Obi-Wan and see how that feels,” Luke says, a smile growing on his face, and Anakin matching him. 

“It’s a shock that people find us so similar,” Anakin jokes, and Luke lets out a classic Luke Skywalker laugh, full of sunshine. 

“I never wanted to make you feel like you had to hide something like that from us, I thought I had given you the space to be open to me about things like this, and I am a little hurt that you didn’t tell any of us about it, but I realize I might have caused you to feel uncomfortable with being open about your relationship with Din. I’m sorry for my reaction, and I shouldn’t have gotten upset, seeing as I did the same thing with your mother,” Anakin says, and Luke smiles at him. 

“Thank you for saying that, I guess I see where you’re coming from, now that you aren’t yelling at me. I’m sorry for not telling you guys about Din and Grogu, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” 

Luke scoots closer to him, and Anakin wraps an arm around his shoulder. 

“I love you, and I’m sorry for yelling at you like that, we both know I’ve never been the best at controlling my anger,” This gets a chuckle out of Luke. 

“I love you too, Dad,” Luke says, and Anakin has never been more proud of his son, “Also, I know you were eavesdropping last night, you can’t hide your Force signature for shit,” 

Anakin lets out a hardy laugh, clapping Luke on the back, who shakes his head at his father. 

“Yeah, well, I didn’t see his face,” 

“I know.” 

“So, tell me about it, tell me all of it, I want to know the story,” 

Luke turns to face him, and they fall into their old pattern, the conversation flowing between them like running water. Luke tells him about their first meeting, how starstruck he was when the pair met. How Luke was enamored from that first moment, while Din was aloof and withdrawn, and how much it frustrated Luke that he didn’t want to know him. 

“Then, I felt Grogu. He’s so strong, I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice his presence sooner. Din seemed shocked that I knew about his powers, so when I offered to train him, Din was hesitant. He insisted on sitting in on our first session together, just like you did with Obi-Wan, and something just clicked. We started spending a lot of time together, with the transition and training Grogu, at some point, I looked at him and I realized I loved him, and I didn’t want to live without him,” Luke goes through the story, word-vomiting, clearly wanting to tell the story to someone for a long time, but being too scared to say anything out loud. 

“Din feels like home, especially when I was missing you all so much, he’s comforting, he listens, and always has the most thoughtful answers. He is always showing me the larger picture of things when I was so stuck on all the tiny details, and has never hesitated to talk me down when I woke up from nightmares of a past that doesn’t even exist, just like Leia did. Him and Grogu became a refuge, a safe haven, and I loved them so much I felt like I was on fire, like a hot blazing, core of the sun type of burning, at times. And I had no idea if he even remotely felt the same way for me, and I ached, for months,” Tears fill Luke’s eyes, and emotion is thick in his voice, and Anakin wraps his arms around Luke, holding him close, letting him feel all the emotions he had kept hidden away. 

Anakin understands his son, The Force, pulsing with the frustration of loving someone who was so close but just far enough away that they were out of reach. The longing, and it fit Luke, longing for the sky, all the stars in the galaxy, falling for the one person who made you burn so fiercely, and Luke, _the boy made of sunshine_ , always burned hotter than the sun for the people he loved. 

“It hurt not knowing how he felt, he was quiet about his emotions for a long time. It wasn’t until there was that attack on the capital, and Din was injured while protecting some of the foundlings, and I’ve never fought harder to protect anyone in my life, and I haven’t needed to before that moment. When the fighting died down and the perpetrators were taken into custody, Din pulled me into his arms, he told me he loved me, and then he kissed me. And, just like that, I wasn’t burning anymore, not in the same way, it wasn’t like the sun’s core, it was like...a fireplace, like I was _finally_ home,”

“He took his helmet off for you?” Anakin’s eyebrow twitches up in confusion, and Luke shakes his head. 

“No, not at that point. It’s the forehead touch that Din does, since he can’t take his helmet off to kiss me in public. They call it keldabe kiss, it’s slang for headbutt,” 

“How romantic,” Luke rolls his eyes at his father’s attempt at a joke. Luke shows Anakin his left hand, where a beskar ring sits on his finger. 

“He asked me to marry him a couple weeks later, handing me a ring with his signet, the mudhorn, engraved into it. It was perfect, under the moonlight, we had taken a walk in the city, and he asked me. I said yes so quickly, I think I gave him whiplash. We got married four days later, when Din could take a bit of time away from the duties of being the Mand’alor, but that was still a while ago now,” 

Anakin listens to his son describe the ceremony, how simple it was, just the three of them, and how hard it was not having the family there, but Luke just wanted to do something purely for himself for once, for Din. 

“I felt guilty everyday for not telling you all about it, I felt guilty that I didn’t want to come home after the mission ended, that I couldn’t anymore, but I knew Din wanted to meet you guys, since I never shut about everyone, and then, we came here. Maybe...it wasn’t my best plan to surprise you with two new members of the family,” Luke laughs, and Anakin thinks for a moment before responding, realizing there was something he could do for his son to fix this whole mess. 

“Luke,” Anakin says, and his son looks at him, “I think we have a wedding to plan,” 

Luke’s smile is so bright, Anakin swears the sun goes out for a couple of moments in shame. 

* * *

Padmé spends the next week decorating, making sure everything was actually fit for a wedding this time. There’s no altar, just a gathering of friends and family, but she dresses everything up with Luke’s favorite flowers, the millaflower. Anakin watches his wife and children plan everything out, scurrying around. It doesn’t take much for Leia to convince Luke to let her plan the reception, and Anakin can tell Din is happy to see his husband so content. Anakin takes this time to get to know Din, who’s a good man. Grogu seems to love the additions to his family, searching out for Anakin whenever he gets a chance. The three of them spend most days talking, with Anakin helping where he can with Grogu’s Force training, and Din seems to like that he has someone else who he can ask questions about all this Force nonsense, Din’s words, not Anakin’s. 

The ceremony takes place a week later. Din and Luke decided to get married in the same spot that Anakin and Padmé did, golden hour rays breaking through the trees. Everyone who needs to be there attends, with Din’s old friends showing up, and Din sheepishly admitting that a couple of his other friends coincidentally had some ties to Han, because Of Course Han Did Something, and thought it was best to let Din and Luke have time with Luke’s family instead of accidentally causing any drama. Han showed up at the last minute with Chewbacca, surprising both Luke and Leia. While Anakin wasn’t Han’s biggest fan, he couldn’t deny the way Leia lit up around him, so sadly, he’s family. 

There isn’t much to the wedding. Din’s armor is freshly polished, his helmet shining in the rays of the setting sun, and Luke in his best outfit, a black high collared shirt, black pants with his fanciest boots. A grey cape wrapped around Luke’s shoulders, crossing his body at an angle, a belt wrapped around his waist. Silver gauntlets on his forearms, contrasting with the gold trimming on his cape, and reminding Anakin that his son did not get his fashion taste from him. 

Padmé wraps her arm around his waist, as they watch their son get married for a second time. Anakin glances over, and sees Han wrap an arm around Leia, her head leaning on his shoulder, Chewbacca standing behind them. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka stand off to the side, content smiles on their faces, as they link arms, Artoo and CP30 standing behind them. Din’s friends, Cobb, Greef and Cara stand together, with Greef holding Grogu in his arms. Din and Luke stand together near the railing, holding hands, Din has taken his gloves off for the ceremony, Anakin understands the skin to skin contact was important to the man, as he had noticed all the times Din would slip off his gloves to hold hands with Luke or to cradle Luke’s face. 

“ _Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome, mhi me’dinui an, mhi ba’juri verde.”_ Din says, the Mando’a rolling off his tongue easily, and Anakin can hear the smile in his voice, behind the modulator. 

Luke, forever his sunshine son, the boy full of longing and fight, ready for the next step, the boy full of family and hope, stares at his husband with wonder, and Anakin can imagine that this is the same look he gave Din the first time around. Luke, the boy who could outshine the sun. A sudden breeze comes off the lake and flower petals float down from the blossoming trees, creating magic, catching themselves in Luke’s hair. 

“ _Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome, mhi me’dinui an, mhi ba’juri verde.”_ Luke repeats, the mando’a is a little harsh in his mouth, but it’s perfect nonetheless, it’s Luke. 

The pair lean forward, pressing their foreheads together. Din easily brings Luke close to him, wrapping his arm around Luke’s waist, tangling his hand in Luke’s hair, messing up the hairstyle Padmé had done for him. He rocks them back and forth, as Luke lets out a laugh. Over the clapping, Anakin catches Din saying something to Luke, that he knows isn’t a part of the ceremony. 

“ _At kar'taylir darasuum gar, cuyir at kar'taylir darasuum te oyu'baat, cyar'ika_ ,” 

The reception is not as chaotic as Anakin would expect for a party of Leia’s. A well known secret of the Skywalker-Naberries’ is that Leia was the one for chaos, and Luke was the one who encouraged it. Together, the pair was deadly, but tonight, they dance under the Naboo moonlight that mixes with the soft lighting of the lanterns, laughing as they twirl each other around, tipsier than either would admit.

Warm conversation fills the balcony intertwining with the music from the string quartet that Padmé insisted on. Everyone mingles, laughter ringing out amongst the conversation, family, friends, loved ones all gathering together to celebrate two people who meant the most to them. The summer breeze makes its way across the lake, making everyone comfortable outside, the petals from the blooming trees add a bit of wonder to the evening, and it’s pleasant. 

Anakin sits off to the side, watching as Luke and Leia attempt to drag Obi-Wan out on their makeshift dance floor, and Anakin sees glimpses of ten year old twins attempting the same plan, always using Obi-Wan’s weakness for them as their leverage. Both times, they succeed, and this time, Ahsoka joins them. Din is making conversation with friends of his, Cobb and Greef, two people who he goes a ways back with, Din told Anakin they were family at this point. Padmé sits off to the side with Grogu, and another friend of Din’s, Cara joins them, conversation easily flowing. The child is giggling and smiling up at his new family member, and Anakin watches his lineage, his _family,_ the familiar feeling of love making its way into his chest, and settling, contentment must float off him in waves. 

“Mind if I join you?” Din appears next to him, beskar armor reflecting the various light sources around them. 

“Of course, please,” He scoots over to offer more room to Din, who sits down to join his father-in-law. 

_Father-in-Law,_ yeah, that’s still gonna take some getting used too. 

“I wanted to thank you for the ceremony,” Din says, “I don’t know what you said to Luke, but I had been trying to convince him to tell you guys for longer than either of us would care to admit. I know this made him happy, even if it’s not traditional for my people, but I’d rather him be happy than anything else,” 

“Sounds like Luke, sorry about that, his kind of stubbornness comes from me,” Din chuckles in response to that, nodding his head, “Luke has always held so much of the world on his shoulders, and he’s never needed too, but with the visions, the nightmares, he gets at night, of this alternate timeline, I think he struggles with admitting when things mean more to him than they do other people. I’ve learned to coax it out of him, because I was the same way.” 

“Yeah, I guess I’m still learning,” Din admits, helmet tilting towards the ground, and Anakin can sense a bit of shame floating off of him. 

“That may be the case, but it’s a good thing you have a long time to figure it all out together,” Anakin reaches a hand up, and places it on Din’s shoulder, “You’ll be learning things about each other for years, Padmé and I are still learning new things about each other everyday, and we’ve been married for a long time, that’s the fun of it. So, maybe Luke needs some coaxing to do things for himself, but don’t be afraid of the unknown, of the things still yet to come, the two of you are gonna be just fine.” 

Din turns his head to face Anakin, and Anakin can sense the smile on his son-in-law’s face. The pair lapse into a comfortable silence, a signature of the Skywalker-Naberrie family, which is bigger now, more joyous, whole. They both turn away, watching as Luke takes Grogu from Padmé to sway with his son. Anakin smiles thinking about how he’s now a grandfather and a father-in-law in one quick trip, and then he thinks back to a moment earlier in the day. 

“What did you say to Luke, at the end of the ceremony?” Anakin asks, and Din chuckles. 

“I said that to love him, is to love the universe. You all are such a happy family, and so big compared to Grogu’s and I’s clan of two, now three. It’s nice, I was a foundling, my parents died a long time ago. I only want our family to grow, whether through blood or through friendships, I want Grogu to have as many people behind him as possible. Tonight, we officially gained a big part of our family, and it’s good, I’m happy to be apart of your family now,” 

Anakin’s heart warms at Din’s confession, seeing him in an even brighter light. If Luke was the sun, Din was the moon he illuminated, the perfect pair.

“Din!” Luke’s voice calls out from the dance floor, gesturing his husband to join him. Din shakes his head, sitting back on the bench they share. 

Luke rolls his eyes, and hands Grogu back to Padmé before he makes his way over to the pair, reaching a hand out to Din. Din shakes his head again, crossing his arms across his chest. Luke reaches them, placing one hand on his hip, the other hand still stretched out for Din to take. 

“Come on, it’s our wedding, I think you can make an exception just this once,” Luke says, voice filled with light teasing, Anakin smiles. 

“One thing I should let you know now, no one says no to dancing with the terrible twins,” Anakin chimes in, getting a laugh from his son. 

Giving one last glance to Anakin, Din takes Luke’s hand, and allows himself to be pulled back onto the dance floor. The music is a light, joyous number, easy to dance too, and the attendees seem to agree. Din wraps his arm around Luke’s waist, taking his other hand in his, and the pair fall into step with each other, swaying back and forth to the music, foreheads touching. Anakin’s eyebrows raise, watching as Din spins Luke around, before dipping him. Luke laughs, and places a head on the side of Din’s helmet as Din straightens him again. 

With Grogu in her arms, Anakin sees Padmé make her way over to him. Taking Din’s previous spot, Padmé passes Grogu over to him, the small child babbling and reaching a hand up to touch Anakin’s cheek. His wife leans her head on his shoulder, threading her arm through his, watching their children dance with their respective significant others, both radiating happiness in this moment. 

“I think we did a pretty good job, despite everything,” Padmé whispers, and Anakin feels in the Force, that this is as it should be, and he thanks it for being right. 

“I think we did too,” 

* * *

“Grandpa!” 

“There are my favorite Mandalorians!” Anakin says, crouching down with open arms to hug his grandchildren. 

Rey, and Finn ran towards him, with Grogu in Finn’s arms. The three children shrieked with laughter as they sprinted down the long hallway, their hurried footsteps echoing. They all crash into him at once, forcing him onto the ground, and Anakin gets the wind knocked out of him, but he wouldn’t change it for the world. Anakin attempts to laugh, but the weight of three children hinder that. They all clamor around him, trying to sit on his lap, to get his attention, it’s not often that they get to see their grandfather. 

“Grandpa, can you tell us the story of how you and Grandma fell in love? I keep trying to get Dad to tell us but he keeps saying you tell it the best,” Finn asks. 

“Grandpa, did you really defeat a SITH LORD? Buir says you did. Doesn’t that mean you were the greatest Jedi ever, even better than Uncle Obi-Wan?” Rey cuts in, before Anakin can begin to answer his grandson’s question. 

Anakin starts to open his mouth but Grogu cuts him off this time, shrieking, “ _Ba'buir!_ ” 

“Djarins! Get off your grandfather before you kill him, he’s too old for that,” Hearing his son’s voice, Anakin looks up, spying his son and son-in-law making their way down the hallway. 

“You know I’m only fifty-four, right, Luke?” Anakin jokes, and he smiles. 

“Still old,” Luke shrugs, as they continue down the hallway. 

The children retreat slightly, giving their grandfather some space to breath. _Grandfather,_ Anakin still isn’t used to that. Din holds a bundle of cloth in one arm, the other wrapped around Luke’s shoulders. His helmet and his armor look freshly polished, reflecting the sunlight that comes in from the windows. Luke’s hair is done back, wearing an outfit very similar to the outfit he wore at their wedding. According to Luke, they were coming from an important political trip to Coruscant, another treaty between the Republic and Mandalore. After a doozy of an evening, with a banquet ending with Din being challenged for the Darksaber, they needed some well-deserved time off with family. Anakin stands, taking Grogu away from Finn, letting the two taller grandchildren hug his legs, as Grogu reaches up to touch his face. 

“It’s good to see you again,” Anakin says, as Luke and Din reach him, “Leia, Han and Ben arrived not too long ago, they’re with your mother in the parlor,” 

Luke smiles, wraps his arms around his father, mindful of Grogu. 

“It’s good to see you too, it’s been too long since we’ve visited,” Luke responds, placing an arm around Din’s waist. 

“Cara suggested we take some time off after the other night, especially since we haven’t gotten any since we added this addition,” Joy is apparent in Din’s voice, even if Anakin cannot see his face. 

The bundle of joy is a small Togruta baby girl, her montrals are still short, but they are a beautiful soft lavender color. Her face markings cover her eyes, winging out slightly, the marking on her eyes are connected to a skinny line that trails down her cheeks. The pattern on her forehead is similar to Ahsoka’s, and her skin is a similar color as well. She’s beautiful. 

“Dad, we’d like you to meet Sorla,” Luke says, taking Grogu back so Anakin could take his newest grandchild from Din. 

“She’s perfect,” Anakin whispers, as Sorla coos, blinking up at him. 

“Yeah, we’d have to agree,” Din says, getting a chuckle out of Luke. 

Anakin tears his eyes away from Sorla to look at them. Luke is still as bright as the sun, smiling down at his children, and Anakin no longer sees longing in his eyes, or feels it in his presence, the contentment floats off of him in waves. Din stares at Luke, and Anakin can picture his smile, happy and bright. 

“Where’s Grandma? I wanna ask her about the story, since you aren’t saying anything,” Finn grumbles, which gets a bout of laughter from the adults. 

Din takes Sorla back in his arms, and Anakin picks up Finn to rest on his hip. Rey reaches up to grab her parent’s free hands, to swing between them, Grogu still happy in Luke’s arms. The group starts walking towards the rest of their family, Rey giggling as Luke and Din lift their arms to swing her. Finn looks intently at his grandfather, waiting for his story to start. 

“Well, the story starts a long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away...” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! I had a lot of fun writing this, I think Anakin is a super interesting character, and I like to think if Palpatine didn't manipulate him so much, he would have been able to learn from his errors, and try to be the best father he could be. I'm on [tumblr,](https://skywalker-swift.tumblr.com/) so feel free to send an ask, I'd love to chat about anything! :D


End file.
